Dirigible headlight mechanism for automobiles



July 26, 1949. A. G. SMITH DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILESFiled Feb. 17, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventar Andrew G. Smi fh July 26,1949. A. G. SMITH DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES FiledFeb. 17, 1947 3 Sheet ..s 2

w mm mm Invent drew 6.5mifh July 26, 1949. A. G. SMITH 2,477,497

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Feb. 17', 1947 :5Sheets-Sheet s I n ventor Andrew G. Smith B; EMMA.

Patented July 26, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DI RIGIBLE HEADLIGHTMECHANlSM FOR V AUTOMOBILES 1- Andrew G. Smith, Detroit, Mich. 1Application February 1'7, 1947, Serial No. 729,120

, My invention; relates to improvements in dirigibleheadlightmechanisms, forautomobiles, and thlike. i The primary object of myinvention is to provide for operating automobile headlights through thesteering post of an automobile to direct the beams from the headlightsso as to illuminate the road, when the automobile is turning, in amoreeflicient way than has heretofore been possible with present-daysteering post operated headlights.

Another object is to accomplish the above by means of simply constructedheadlight mechanism imposing a minimumof strain on the steering post andwhich is easily operated thereby, will not get out of order; and isadapted for installation in present-day automobiles, withoutprohibitively increasing the cost thereof.

; Other and subordinate objects, also comprehended by my invention,together with the precise nature of my improvements, and the advantagesthereof, will be readily understood when the succeeding description andclaims are read with reference to the drawings, accompanying and formingpart of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in horizontal section taken through the hood of anautomobile and showing my improved dirigible headlight mechanism inplan; it a Figure 2 is a view in transverse section taken on the line2-2 of Figure 1; v

Figure 3 is a view in vertical longitudinal sectio taken on the line 3-3of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in plan illustrating one of the turretsand headlights;

Figure 5 is a detail view in vertical section of one of the knee jointmembers.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the sprocket andchain connection of the operating mechanism for swinging the kneejoints. Referring now to the drawings by numerals, according to myinvention, in'the preferred embodiment illustrated, the hood I of anautomobile is provided, at a suitable location adjacentthe front endthereof, and below the hood cover 2, with a pair of the usual headlights3 at opposite sides thereof swingable horizontally, forwardly andrearwardly, over the fenders 4 on mountings 5.

The mountings 5 for the headlights 3 comprise horizontal side arms 6 onthe headlights 3 extending into the hood I through suitable openings 1in the opposite sides of said hood. The side arms 6 are preferablytubular and threaded at inner ends thereof, as at 8, onto a pair of kneejoint 3 Claims. (Cl. 240- 6251) joint membersS simultaneously, and hencetheside arms 6 and headlights 3 is provided as folmembers 9. The kneejoint members 9 comprise, respectively, a pair of vertically alignedstuds I0; The pairs of studs H! are journaled in pairs of upper andlower bearing brackets l l in the hood I bolted, as at l2, to the innersides of the hood at the top and bottom of the openings 7. A pair ofkeeper plates l3 are secured by screws I4 to said knee joint members 9and recessed into the side arms 6, as at l5, said keeper platesreleasably locking the side arms 6 against Working loose on said kneejoint members 9. Nuts l6 secure the studs II] in the bearing bracketsII. The usual electric leads H for the headlights 3 extend into the sidearms 6 through openings I8 in said arms. As will be seen, the describedmountings 5 pro.- vide for horizontal swinging oi the headlights 3 aboutvertical axes, provided by knee joints inside the hood I andprotectedthereby.

A pair of turrets I9, at opposite sides of the hood I, cover theopeningsl with horizontally arcuate outer sides 20 concentric to the axes ofswinging movement of the side arms ,6 and through which the side arms 6extend and play in longitudinal slots 2| in said walls 20. The turretsI9 may be secured in any suitable manner to the sides of the hood I, forinstance, by having edges, as at 22, fitting in said openings 1 andsecured in place by welding, not shown. For sealing the slots 2l in theside walls 20', to pre, vent water and dust from entering the same,arcuate liner bands 23, of suitable material, are provided on the sidearms 6 to slide along the sides 20 of said turrets I9 when said sidearms 6 are swung, and which are held against said sides 20 by arcuatebacking plates 24 secured to said side arms 6 by screws, as at 25.Openings 2B in the tops and bottoms of the turrets IS, with pivotedcover flaps. 27, provide for access to the screws 25 should occasionrequire.

Operating mechanism for swinging the knee lows, r l

The steering post 28 of the automobile has fixed thereon in front of thedashboard29 a gear 30 meshing with a bevel gear 3|, directly above thegear 30, and secured by means of a nut 32 on the front of a horizontalspindle 33 journaled in a sleeve bearing 34 extending forwardly from thedashboard 29 in vertical alignment with said post 28 and secured to saidboard 29 by a rear end flange 35 thereon bolted, as at 36, to a channelbracket 31 secured, as by welding, not shown, to said board 29. Thebracket 31 provides a space between the same and the flange 35 foraccess to bearing 45 constructed and arranged like the,

bearing 34, but, disposed in the vertical center of the dashboard 29above the level of the mount ings 5.

Suitable idler sprocket wheels 46, 4 overwhich the sprocket chain 42 istrained, arelprovided on spindles 48, 49 journaled in bearings "50, 51,similar to the described bearings 34, 45, and similarly secured to thedashboard 29. The spindle 44 is operatively connected by a suitablecoupling, as at 52, to the rear end of a horizontal' -motiontransmitting shaft 53 extending forwardly from the spindle 44 inalignment therewith and similarly coupled at its front end, as at 54, tothe rear end of a horizontal spindle 55 journaled in a bearing '55similar to the bearings 34, 45, '50, 5|, said spindle 55 having suitablyfixedron the iront end thereof a gear pinion 51. ,The bearing '56 issuitably fixed to a hanger plate 58 -bolte d,:as at'59, to an anglebar'Bfi suitably fixed on the usual horizontal brace rods B-I of theradiator, not

shown; V

The gear .pinion =51 meshes with a subjacent reversing gear pinion =62meshing with a rack bar 63 end wis'e slida'ble in aV-gu'ide bracket 54extending transversely of' the hood and on which the The foregoing will,it is believed, suffice to im part a clear understanding of myinvention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modificationwithout departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope oithe appendedWhat Ig'c'laim is:

1. The combination claims.

ing post of an automobile, of a pair of slotted turrets on oppositesides of said hood, a pair of headlights, side arrr'rs on saidheadlights extending through the slots in the turrets and pivotallymounted said hood to swing horizontally and correspondingly swing saidheadlights, means for operatively'eorinecting said steering post to said-side arms to swing the same in unison by turnreversing gear pinion 8 2is suitably mounted.

The rack bar '63 operatively connected at the ends thereof to the knee,joint members/9 by a pair of laterally swinga'ble compensating links 65pivoted to 'said bar, :as at :66, and, :as at 6-7, to a pair of crankarms "68 :on said knee joint members 9-.

The manner in which the described invention operates will be readilyunderstood. Turning'of the steering p'ost 2 8for steering to the rightor left results in horizontal swinging of the headlights 3 so as todirect the axis of the beams to the right, or left, in correspondencewith the direotion in which the automobile tur-ns.

gear pinion 5'! is driven in the opposite direction rection to d irectthe beams on the road and in the direction of turning of the automobile.

As will be seen, the 'de'scr-il'oed invention in-no way interferes withraising or lowering of the hood cover-2 and all parts of the mechanismare accessible when the hood 2 is raised. 7

ing of said post, and means for sealing the slots in said turrets duringswinging of said side arms.

2. The combination with the hood and steering posto'f anautomatne, of apair of headlights at opposite sides of said hood, a ,pair ofssid'e armssupporting said headlights, said armsv extending into said hood andbeing pivotally mounted therein for honizontalswing'ing iorwardly andrearwardly, and means operative by turning of said steering ,post toswing said arms simul taneouslycomprising arackbarslidably mounted insaid hood for endw'ise movement transversely of the hood, operatingconnections-between the ends of said rack bar and saidarms, andoperating connections between said steering post andrackbar. r r 3. Thecombination with the hood and steering post of an automobile, of apai-rof headl-ights at opposite sides of; said hood apair or side "armssupporting said :headlig-hts, said arms extending into said hood --andbeing pivotally mounted therein for horizontalswinging forwardly andrearwardly, and means operative by turningof said steering post ,itoswing said arms simul taneously-compris-ing larack bar :slidably zmountpi REFERENCES crisp The following referenimes are of-record the file orthis patent; r

I UNITED srzxrns. PATE 'rs Number hiDate i 1,200,279 Walton fit 351. 1Oct. 3, 1916 I l.;'882,4 l5 Freeberg a Get. 1 1, 1932

